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when to stop taking klonopin
My husband has been taking 2 tablets klonodine for over 5 years. Is he a drug addict?
I wanted to add too, if he is taking Klonopin as prescribed for something like an anxiety disorder, and isn't abusing it, then the decision whether to keep taking it or not is something he would have to make after talking to his doctor.
Klonopin is a long acting benzodiazepine, which can be used on a long term basis to treat anxiety disorders, and other conditions. If it's effective for the reason he's taking it, then there may not be any need to make any changes.
Klonopin is a long acting benzodiazepine, which can be used on a long term basis to treat anxiety disorders, and other conditions. If it's effective for the reason he's taking it, then there may not be any need to make any changes.
Are you talking about Klonopin, or Clonidine? The first is an anti-anxiety med, and the second is an anti-hypertensive med often prescribed to help with opiate w/ds.
I'm assuming you're talking about Klonopin, so that's what my reply will be based on for now. If your husband has been taking Klonopin regularly for an extended period of time, then he would definitely be DEPENDENT. Dependency is different from addiction in many ways.
Dependency is when a person becomes physically dependent on an habit-forming medication. The body "needs" the substabce in order to feel normal and function in a certain way. Dependency will cause w/ds if a person abruptly stops taking that medication, therefore a tapering process is needed to safely discontinue the medication.
Addiction involves a lot more complex mental aspects. An addict will have mental cravings for the drug, and will abuse it, taking far more than prescribed. They will continue to abuse the med, despite the fact that there could be risks to their health and well being, and will often do things very out of character to keep their addiction going...everything from lying to stealing.
If your husband fits the description of someone who is dependent, the most important consideration is that when he's ready to come off the med, that he's carefully weaned off under the supervision of the prescribing doctor.
If he seems to fit the addiction category, then not only would he still need a supervised taper for his safety and health, but he will need to address the addiction issues with aftercare, which would include things like therapy, addiction counseling, NA/AA meetings, etc. Aftercare helps a person learn about their addiction, why they turned to a substance (sometimes to help them cope with stress, sometimes to self medicate for a mood disorder like anxiety or depression, sometimes recreationally, to seek a high is social situations), what triggers them, and how to guard their sobriety and prevent relapse, which is always a big concern. Even after an addict gets clean from the drug they were abusing, they always have to work on their sobriety, as relapse can happen, even many years after getting clean.
Hope this helps....we're here to help you in any way we can.
I'm assuming you're talking about Klonopin, so that's what my reply will be based on for now. If your husband has been taking Klonopin regularly for an extended period of time, then he would definitely be DEPENDENT. Dependency is different from addiction in many ways.
Dependency is when a person becomes physically dependent on an habit-forming medication. The body "needs" the substabce in order to feel normal and function in a certain way. Dependency will cause w/ds if a person abruptly stops taking that medication, therefore a tapering process is needed to safely discontinue the medication.
Addiction involves a lot more complex mental aspects. An addict will have mental cravings for the drug, and will abuse it, taking far more than prescribed. They will continue to abuse the med, despite the fact that there could be risks to their health and well being, and will often do things very out of character to keep their addiction going...everything from lying to stealing.
If your husband fits the description of someone who is dependent, the most important consideration is that when he's ready to come off the med, that he's carefully weaned off under the supervision of the prescribing doctor.
If he seems to fit the addiction category, then not only would he still need a supervised taper for his safety and health, but he will need to address the addiction issues with aftercare, which would include things like therapy, addiction counseling, NA/AA meetings, etc. Aftercare helps a person learn about their addiction, why they turned to a substance (sometimes to help them cope with stress, sometimes to self medicate for a mood disorder like anxiety or depression, sometimes recreationally, to seek a high is social situations), what triggers them, and how to guard their sobriety and prevent relapse, which is always a big concern. Even after an addict gets clean from the drug they were abusing, they always have to work on their sobriety, as relapse can happen, even many years after getting clean.
Hope this helps....we're here to help you in any way we can.
That depends on if he is prescribed to take klonopin as he has been doing. From your post, i suspect that he does not have a prescription, and buys the klonopin off the street. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine, meant for controlling anxiety. He is not taking very much of it, and you have not said that he takes more and more. This IS an addictive drug. It must be taken only as a doctor says, or else addiction can happen. Your husband is obviously looking to releive some stress in his life. I think taking him to the doctor would be a good idea. He can say that he had some from an old pcript, and that he knows it works. Doc may very well prescribe it. Just be very sure he is only taking it as directed, never more, ever. If he wants to, and is worried about the addictive side of this drug, then you can request a medicine that is not addictive. Blessings- Blu
A lot more information is needed before anyone could give you an opinion. Does he get them from a doctor and if he does does he take them as directed? Does his use interfere with his and your family's life? Does he need them in order to have a better quality of life. There is a lot to take into consideration.
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